Are You Doomed?

by NeonMadman 10 Replies latest jw experiences

  • NeonMadman
    NeonMadman

    Back in 1969, we were studying the book Babylon the Great Has Fallen - God's Kingdom Rules! in the Book Study. At one point, it commented regarding the "hailstones" that would fall, as described in the book of Revelation, that these "hailstones" referred to the hard messages of judgment that we JWs would be proclaiming to people after the Great Tribulation had begun, when there was no further hope of salvation for those who were not already JWs. This idea became a topic of much discussion in the car groups I generally worked in field service with, and we speculated on what literature the Society might publish at that time. We decided that there would probably be a pamphlet of some sort to inform people of God's judgment against them, and that we would have to distribute it to the hopelessly lost people outside the organization.

    As fortuity would have it (couldn't say luck), I had enrolled as a vacation pioneer for the month of September, 1969, and halfway through the month, I severely sprained my ankle at work, laying me up for three weeks and preventing me from completing my pioneer hours. In the boredom associated with being laid up, however, I decided to have some fun by creating my own version of the literature that the WTS might print once the Tribulation started rocking. I'm offering the result here for your possible enjoyment.

    Are You Doomed?

  • Finkelstein
    Finkelstein

    The WTS did some good old fashion fear mongering back then , they even pulled out an old previously used dating scheme of mankind's existence of 6000 years, ending to October of 1975.

    They did it very secretly to the extent that no one except the top editorial writers for the organization namely F Franz and N. Knorr knew that they pulled it out of Pastor Russell's books whcih were published 60 years previously.

  • Magnum
    Magnum

    I downloaded your document but haven't read it yet.

    This post reminds me of the mindset back then. Those who weren't around back then can't really know what it was like. There was excitement and a sense of urgency. JWs and JWdom seemed bolder and stronger. The destruction of "this system" was imminent. JWs would soon be vindicated. Back then JWs had a guru, Fred Franz, and they virtually clung to his every word.

    Even after 1975 passed, the discussion about the message turning hard continued in my area - especialy in the late 80's and early 90's when the "generation" time limit was expiriing. In my area there was some question as to whether the message might even turn hard (or harder) before the tribulation even began.

    And now look at the situation. The message has grown weaker and wimpier. Is there even really a particular message anymore? It's shocking to see what JWdom is now compared to what it was back then. Not that it was right back then; it was just so different.

  • Finkelstein
    Finkelstein

    From a publishing house marketing strategy, fear mongering doom supported no less by the present belief in the bible was a advantageous achievement, in spite of it being conniving and bit deceiving, the WTS's own membership as well literature distribution rose dramatically during that time.

  • stuckinarut2
    stuckinarut2

    FOG at its finest... Funny though...it could be used as a real article...

    (Fear Obligation, Guilt)

  • Beth Sarim
    Beth Sarim
    Fear-mongering was a lot more prevalent back in 1970's and '80's. These days it's all about the broadcasts and praising and worshipping of the GB.
  • titch
    titch

    NeonMadman: That is a very interesting document that you created, way back then. But, I was wondering: How old were you, back in 1969, when you created the document? Myself, I was 15, and I do remember studying the "Babylon The Great" book. Of course, when it was announced that the Society wanted Book Study groups to study that publication, I, at that age, thought that there was something significant that was going to happen VERY SOON, if that book was going to be studied. Best Regards.

    Titch

  • smiddy
    smiddy

    I remember those days , I believe " Life Everlasting in The Freedom Of God" was the publication that pinpointed 1975 as the end of 6000 years of human history , and an appropiate time for the 1000 years of Jesus Christ to begin his rulership .

    [first time they predicted the end of 6000 years was to have occurred in the late 1800`s according to C.T.Russell.]

    It was also a time when "special " tracts were to be delivered to every householder , not to spend time at the doors just place these " special" tracts with every house.

    The speculation was , their were to be delivered 7 tracts over 7 years that would bring denunciation on religion and Govt. culminating in widespread persecution until Jehovah stepped in at Armageddon .

    Their was a sense of urgency and expectation from about 1969 through to about 1976-7

    When of course no such thing happened many fell away , but not yours truly dumbass that I was .

    smiddy

  • NeonMadman
    NeonMadman

    For the record, I was 17 in 1969 when I wrote the document. I was living at home, working at a gas station, had been recently baptized and was vacation pioneering for the first time. Getting injured blew my hours pretty badly.

    We had been fooling around in our usual service group speculating about what form the "judgment messages" might take. This document was just a response to that, made for fun, and not really intended for circulation. The only people I think I ever showed it to were people in my car group and a few personal friends. I found it recently going through some old JW stuff, and thought it might be of interest.

  • Iown Mylife
    Iown Mylife

    I loved the design and the writing, it was very cute.

    The main point that hit me, was how perfectly it contradicts that elder at the Australian hearings, who stated that Jehovah's Witnesses DO NOT believe that only JWs will be saved . Here is a 17 year old kid who is repeating the indoctrination from the meetings and literature approved by WT at the time.

    Marina

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